


Love Stupor

by EternalSurvivor



Series: Shinobi Don't Promise [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Canon Compliant, Day One Prompt: The Moment Love Hits, F/M, First Meetings, Love at First Sight, Meet-Cute, Naruto Rare Pair Week 2020, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:41:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23989054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EternalSurvivor/pseuds/EternalSurvivor
Summary: When a hoard of pre-genin cross his path, Shikaku Nara wasn't expecting his future to be among them.[This is a stand-alone story. It can be read on its own without the rest of the series.]
Relationships: Nara Shikaku/Nara Yoshino
Series: Shinobi Don't Promise [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1327112
Comments: 29
Kudos: 90





	Love Stupor

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Русский available: [Любовный ступор](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24165418) by [Tamiraina](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tamiraina/pseuds/Tamiraina)



> This is my entry for Naruto Rare Pair Week Day One: Under the Prompt "The Moment Love Hits". I hope you all enjoy some flirting, teasing and one very confident chunin. <3

“Left-right, left-right, left-right! Come on, lift those knees! You can do better than that. Do you want to be shinobi or not?” 

Choza’s outstretched hand brought an abrupt stop to his amble. “Hold up, Shikaku.” With a sigh, the jounin diverted his gaze from the sky to the mild inconvenience cutting off their path. 

Academy students.

One of the younger classes by the look of it. Around eight or so years old if the average size was any indication. Some of the poor kids looked just about ready to collapse. They must have a real salve-driver for a sensei. He didn’t envy the brats. Who wanted to be that red-faced and sweaty-

His brows furrowed, shoulders tensing a fraction.

Did they have _leaves_ stuck to their foreheads? 

Leaf Concentration Practice was a tradition older than the hidden villages. First utilized by the Senju Clan, all aspiring Konoha genin used the staple to practice chakra control. Nothing strange about that. But _running_ while doing it? He felt for the kids, he really did. Shikaku knew active chunin that’d struggle to maintain that combo for any length of time. Yet, here was a group of pre-genin, at least three years from graduation, doing it with moderate success. 

What kind of crazy-ass chunin taught this class?

“Pick up the pace you slackers! Iwashi, go get your partner, Mizuki’s falling behind again. Don’t give me that pout, a team’s only as strong as their weakest link. Natsu your leaf is slipping again. Santa Yamanaka, get out of that puddle you didn’t bring extra sandals. Do you want another cold? Iruka Umino, let that damn spider go-- _not down Yuuago’s pants!!_ Do I need to come back there?” 

_Oh._

_Damn._

_She was beautiful._

Russet brown hair pulled back in a low ponytail, a few flyaways framing her hitai-ate, cheeks flushed as rosy as her students', a kunoichi flak jacket over burgundy spandex. Muscles rippled with each movement, giving her short stature a rather stocky appearance. Perceptive, dark eyes scanned her class, watching each individual student like a hawk. 

_No, she was fucking stunning._

The mere sight of her knocked the air from his lungs. Heat flooded Shikaku’s cheeks, quickly spreading until his ear tips burned. He slouched in on himself, hoping vainly Inoichi didn’t notice. Choza might be a good enough sport not to tease him, but no such luck where the _Ino_ of their legendary trio was concerned. 

Inoichi already had a shit-eating grin plastered on his face.

Great, just _great._

“Excuse us, gentlemen.” She gave a curt nod in their direction. Clipboard in hand, she ushered her hoard of almost thirty pre-genin by. “Get those knees up! Anyone who drops their leaf will be holding the target during shuriken practice tomorrow!” 

A chorus of groans rang out from the kids. 

“What was that?”

“Nothing sensei!!” They chimed like well-trained parrots. Honestly, that’s exactly what they were. Extremely well trained. 

“That’s what I thought,” she smiled, pleased and a little smug. Like a well-fed cat who managed to have her cream and drink it too. Such a ridiculous comparison, but it fit her so well. When she turned that smile on him, Shikaku’s stomach flipped. “See something you like, Nara?” 

Shikaku swallowed hard around the growing lump in his throat. “Uh,” he stammered and subsequently ignored laughter from the unwanted peanut gallery (Sage damn it, Inoichi). Why was his mouth suddenly so dry? Wetting his lips, he tried again. “You’re… I mean, hm, damn.” 

She raised one dainty brow, clearly amused. “Oh?” 

His face brightened several more shades. Shikaku shoved his hands in his pant pockets. This unassuming academy sensei was every bit as terrifying as she was gorgeous. “You’re damn good with the kids.” He covered his blunder quickly, silently praying she wouldn’t hold it against him. 

“Of course I am. I’m their sensei.” The utter confidence in that smug retort had butterflies flittering through his stomach like he was a damn genin with a crush. Shit, he had it bad and didn’t even know her name. “How wonderful for the big, important jounin to notice the efforts of a lowly chunin sensei such as myself.” 

“Wh-what?” The earth could open up and swallow him whole any minute now. “That’s not- I mean…” 

If Inoichi’s laughter got any louder, Shikaku was going to plug the bastard right in his smug mug -best friend or not. Choza did nothing to dissuade him either. They just stood there, watching him crash and burn over the first girl he’d ever shown any interest in. Weren’t _they_ the ones constantly on his case about getting a girlfriend? 

Hypocritical jerks, both of them. 

“Did that big brain of yours malfunction, Nara?” That grin sharpened, though the twinkle in her eyes gave away the playfulness behind her sarcastic wit. 

Turning his eyes skyward, Shikaku grunted. “Just trying to make a good first impression.” 

“You’re failing spectacularly,” she chuckled and ruffled the hair of a few students straggling towards the back of the class. One boy with a prominent scar across the bridge of his nose kept shooting nasty looks at Shikaku. Was that Kohari Umino’s boy? Protective little runt had a soft spot for his sensei it seemed. 

“A guy can try,” he shrugged, ready to cut his losses while he still maintained the last shreds of his bruised pride. 

“You can try again Friday night at Yakiniku Q, seven o’clock sharp. Don’t be late.” 

It took a minute for her words to sink in, but when it did, Shikaku’s entire face went scarlet. “Wait, really?” He’d never blushed this much in his damn life. 

“The name’s Yoshino. Learn to love it if you don’t already.” Shooting him a playful wink, she jogged after her class, shouting reprimands and instructions as she went. 

Just like that, the most horrifyingly breath-taking woman he’d ever seen was gone. 

Inoichi doubled over laughing, even as Choza clasped him on the shoulder in congratulations. Shikaku just stared down the path where a sassy chunin sensei disappeared with her gaggle of pre-genin and his heart in tow. 

_Yoshino Nara._

Yeah, that had a pretty nice ring to it.


End file.
